Schedule of Sermons
February 19, 2012
The Story of the Button
What’s one of the biggest problems facing the world today? What does a brass button have to do with it? And what can we, as Unitarian Universalists, do to make a difference? Guest speaker and seminary student Jason Cook answers these questions in this sermon which incorporates experiences from his work as an HIV counselor. Guest musician Lawrence Ingalls will provide vocals and harp music.
February 12, 2012
A Faith Worth Singing About
Join OCUUC in welcoming guest speaker Rev. Jason Shelton.
February 5, 2012
Linda Barnes: Champion of Change
The theme for the month of February revolves around Unitarian Universalists who have made an impact on the society and culture of their times. Some are famous, some are not, and some may be completely unknown to the general public, but all have made creative contributions to the society of their time and place. Sunday February 5th we will focus on Linda Barnes, who has been a champion of food diversity and sustainable agriculture. More about this notable biology professor and seminarian may be found here.
Rev. Ed’s sermon title is “Linda Barnes: Champion of Change.” Also, this Sunday, we will all share in a communion ritual similar to a Flower Communion. Please bring a packet of seeds, or a locally grown or organic fruit, vegetable or herb to share at the Earth’s Bounty Communion.
Additionally, in Sunday’s service, we will be raising awareness and seeking the support of every person in the congregation to joining the 42-42-42 Food Ethics Action program. What is the 42-42-42 Food Ethics Action program? It is a call for 42 men, women and children of OCUUC, beginning March 11th and culminating on Earth Day, April 22, to be committed for a period of 42 days leading up to the 42nd Earth Day, to taking action of their choice with respect to food ethics. Please see our website for more details.
January 29, 2012
Change Agents and Game Changers
This Sunday’s service we will continue the “change” theme for the month of January. In this Sunday’s sermon Rev. Ed will tell the stories of some persons who initiated change to help the relationship systems they were a part of move toward greater health. In this world filled with cynicism, chaos and destructiveness, there are many people – all largely outside the view of our media system – who are wonderful sources of inspiration who can give us real hope for our lives and the future. Furthermore, we can see in their work similar patterns – regardless of the fact that they are trying to accomplish very different goals – which reveal what is required to create, sustain and complete change in any system. Rev. Ed will discuss how these “secrets” of change are things we all can do – and that they are not just the province of “special” people. He looks forward to seeing you Sunday.
January 22, 2012
The Church As Change Agent
The theme for religious services in January is CHANGE. Last week we looked at how Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., brought about change through consistently applied principles that created and maintained change – which ended up literally changing society. Rev. Ed will develop this theme further in this Sunday’s sermon, entitled “The Church as Change Agent.” He will be exploring the idea that one of the fundamental tasks of a religious community is to be an instrument and agent for social change. He will draw on the legacy of Rev. King and the ‘engaged Buddhist’ Thich Nhat Hanh, as well as others, to bear witness to this idea that a basic reason (but not the only reason) for a religious community’s existence is to bear witness to what we, as a community of faith, believe should be happening in the world in the struggle against injustice of any kind. He will also explore ways this could express itself in our own community. Rev. Ed looks forward to seeing you Sunday.
Our special guest artist will be Roy Zimmerman, known for his to-the-moment political satire, especially “Defenders of Marriage,” which he’ll sing for us on Sunday at both services.
January 15, 2012
Rev. Martin Luther King’s Legacy of Changing Social Systems
The theme of the religious services for the month of January is change. In a series of three sermons, I will explore the theme of change from a variety of perspectives. This Sunday I will pay homage to Rev. Martin Luther King who was, among many other things, one of the greatest change agents of American society in the twentieth century. My sermon is entitled “Rev. Martin Luther King’s Legacy of Changing Social Systems” and I look forward to seeing you this Sunday.
January is traditionally a month when people think about change – perhaps in the form of New Year’s resolutions or perhaps because a year has “ended” and a new year has “begun.” Additionally, OCUUC, as a church and an institution, is in a time of huge transition: a long and successful ministry has ended and not so long from now a new settled ministry will begin. The time in between – the time of an interim ministry – is a time of experimentation and exploration. So it is fitting that January’s “theme of the month” be about change. I will explore this theme from a variety of perspectives in a series of three sermons this month January 15th, 22nd and 29th.
January 8, 2012
Holding Tight and Letting Go
Sunday, January 8, we are delighted that our speaker will be the Rev. Bets Wienecke. In keeping with the January theme of change, Rev. Wienecke will speak on the subject of “Holding Tight and Letting Go.” Rev. Wienecke comments: “Transitions in life offer challenges and choices: Do we cling to what we know or do we venture forth into uncharted territory?”
Also, of great importance to the congregation, Rev. Wienecke, as part of her remarks, will outline the search process recommended by the UUA for securing the best minister for the next chapter in the life of Orange Coast UU Church. She will also be available to answer questions after the service.
Rev. Bets Wienecke is the Pacific Southwest District Ministerial Settlement Representative who advises and consults with this district’s UU congregations in the southern half of California, Nevada and Arizona about the ministerial search process.
January 1, 2012
New Year’s Day
Join us on Sunday, January 1st, 2012 at 10:00 am for one service with guest guitarist Joe Daigle! You won’t miss The Rose Parade, Pasadena doesn’t allow the parade to happen on a Sunday. Come spend your first morning of 2012 at OCUUC!
New Year Service Schedule:
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One service: Sunday, January 1st at 10:00 amDecember 25, 2011
Christmas Day Musical Meditation
Join us on Sunday, December 25th at 10:00 am for a musical meditation service, the perfect antidote for the hectic holidays. This meditation will steer clear of Christmas songs, but its songs will draw from many different religious traditions. This will be a casual service with no sermon. Children will participate in an activity in the Social Hall.
December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve Celebration
Join OCUUC in our annual tradition, the Christmas Eve Celebration on Saturday, December 24th:
- 6:30 pm – Social hour with a special appearance by Santa!
- 7:30 pm – Christmas Eve family service- ”Would You Like to Hold the Baby?“ pageant, with children, youth, and grown-ups acting out the nativity story with lots of music.
December 18, 2011
Winter Solstice Singing Ritual
- Join us in the sanctuary for a special candlelight performance
on Saturday, December 17th at 8:00 pm. - We also will perform the ritual on Sunday, December 18th at 10:00 am
as the church’s Sunday service.
Beautiful music, a meaningful story, and the inspiring message of spreading light to the world.
This unique ritual is different from everything else we do. Celebrating the darkest day of the year and the beginning of light’s return to the world, we tell the myth of Persephone’s descent into the underworld through narration, poetry, and song.
The service is powerful, meditative, and joyful. Come and celebrate the return of light and life to our world!
A note from Rev. Ed:
This Sunday we will have the annual Pagan service at one service at 10 a.m. Thus we will ‘round out’ our tour of three major world religions for this month, Buddhism, Christianity and Paganism. For those interested, there will be follow up Adult Education courses for persons further interested in examining Buddhism and Christianity. The series on early Christianity (Genesis, A Living Conversation) will take place on Wednesdays beginning Jan. 18th and will be led by our own Ken Small. The series on Buddhism will take place in January and please keep your eye on the Adult Education web page for further details. There was quite a bit of interest in both classes and we look forward to these interesting explorations. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
December 11, 2011
The Gifts of Christianity
The statement of the Unitarian Universalism seven principles includes the quote that Unitarian Universalists “draw from many sources” such as “Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life. “ In the month of December we will explore the “theme of the month” of world religions by looking at three major world religions: the Judeo-Christian tradition, the Buddhist tradition and the Pagan tradition. Last week I shared some reflections on Buddhism. I look forward to exploring the Judeo-Christian tradition this week. The title of my sermon is “The Gifts of Christianity.” Mike Scott will hand out Shining Star awards. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
December 4, 2011
The Gifts of Buddhism
This Sunday the title of my sermon will be “The Gifts of Buddhism.” Also, Rayna Hamre will provide a Story For All Ages and Laurel Adcock and Jason Cook are going to introduce the annual Guest At Your Table program to the congregation. The Orange Coast Choir will sing a Buddhism-inspired meditative song, and Summer Albayati-Krikeche will present an easy Buddhist chant that we can all learn. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
November 27, 2011
Getting Naked
Rev. David Owen-O’Quill will give a sermon at OCUUC on Sunday, November 27th entitled “Getting Naked.” In a moment of gratitude we’ll take stock of life and celebrate the gifts of the season.
David has been pastoring UU churches for over 10 years from Texas to Chicago, and has recently moved to Orange County. His ministry includes developing new churches as well as consulting congregations about mission development, worship, and outreach. He moved here with his better half, the Rev. Jennifer Owen-O’Quill, who serves at the Tapestry UU congregation. Together, David and Jennifer have a too-cute-to-believe son named Daniel.
November 20, 2011
The Gifts of Gratitude, Part III
This Sunday Rev. Ed will continue with his series of sermons reflecting on gratitude and appreciation. The spirit of his remarks is reflected in the following quote from Brother David Steindl-Rast: “We are never more than one grateful thought away from peace of heart.”
November 13, 2011
The Gifts of Gratitude, Part II
My sermon this Sunday is entitled “The Gifts of Gratitude” part II. This is the second in a series about gratitude. During the month of November I will be exploring the subject of gratitude form various perspectives with the aim of encouraging all of us to see gratitude as a powerful force for good in our lives, families, friendship circles, congregation, and beyond. In this Sunday’s sermon I will share a lesson in gratitude my eldest daughter taught me, and share other stories which illuminate for me the challenges we face as we try to ‘be grateful’ as well as the benefits being grateful brings.
November 6, 2011
The Gifts of Gratitude
My sermon this Sunday is entitled “The Gifts of Gratitude.” I will explore the ways the intention to express gratitude –or the absence of doing so – affects our lives.
In the month of November I will explore the theme of gratitude, appreciation and thankfulness. Rather than just talk about gratitude, I would like to invite every member and friend of the church to experiment with the practice of appreciation- by engaging in an effort to express gratitude in their daily lives. This could take the form of expressing gratitude to family and friends. I will be talking further about this in my sermons this month.
Beginning the first Sunday in November, the first religious service will begin at 9:45 a.m., rather than 9:30.
And, don’t forget to set your clocks back on Saturday night for Daylight Savings.
I look forward to seeing you in church.
October 30, 2011
Forgiveness and Letting Go
This week’s service combines the whimsical and the serious as we enjoy a musical homage to Halloween while in my sermon we continue to press ahead on the October theme of reflections on the meaning and value of a covenant of healthy relations. We all have a tendency to hold on to the memory of events we have experienced as hurtful. Over a life time it is possible to accumulate quite a number of such experiences. But this human tendency can create unnecessary burdens for us and have many negative ramifications. This Sunday I wish to tell stories about two different people, one who could not forgive and one who was able to embrace forgiveness and the very different consequences which flowed from each of these actions. After the second service, the congregation will have an important meeting to discuss its own covenant of healthy relationships. I hope everyone can participate. I look forward to seeing you Sunday.
October 23, 2011
Change and Other Dangerous Church Activities
Join Rev. David Owen-O’Quill who will give a sermon entitled, “Change and Other Dangerous Church Activities.”
David has been pastoring UU churches for over 10 years from Texas to Chicago, and has recently moved to Orange County. His ministry includes developing new churches as well as consulting congregations about mission development, worship, and outreach. He moved here with his better half, the Rev. Jennifer Owen-O’Quill, who serves at the Tapestry UU congregation. Together, David and Jennifer have a too-cute-to-believe son named Daniel.
October 16, 2011
Building Community Through Awareness of Our Common Needs
Rev. Ed will give a sermon entitled, “Building Community Through Awareness of Our Common Needs”
There are many ways people create walls to put between one another. Awareness of our basic human needs is one way to dissolve those walls. One of the greatest ways of developing deeper bonds of community is by keeping the universal human needs –such as our needs for respect, dignity, and compassion – at the forefront of minds in our relationships with others. It is a very simple notion with far reaching results. Sunday I will share some experiences that helped to make me aware of the wisdom of letting our words and deeds be guided by understanding that our own deepest needs are shared by all we encounter in our daily lives.
October 9, 2011
Being FAIR, California education under attack
As people of faith, we are called to speak on behalf of those around us whose voices have been silenced. Conservative extremists are once again attempting to silence marginalized people in California. This time they are waging war in our California schools by attempting to exclude and silence the stories of people with disabilities, LGBT people, and other cultural minority groups. Join AJ Blackwood to find out how you can become a model for our youth by speaking out.
Read more about SB 48 FAIR Education Act.
Bill Number: SB 48
The Fair, Accurate, Inclusive and Respectful (FAIR) Education Act would amend the Education Code to include social sciences instruction on the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. This bill would also prohibit discriminatory instruction and discriminatory materials from being adopted by the State Board of Education.
Status: Introduced on December 13, 2010. Passed by the Senate Education Committee on March 23, 2011 on a 6-3 vote. Passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 4, 2011 on a 3-2 vote. Passed by the California Senate 23-14 on April 14, 2011. Passed by the Assembly Committee on Education on June 28, 2011, on a 6-2 vote, and by the full Assembly on July 6, 2011 on a 49-25 vote. Signed by the Governor on July 14, 2011.
October 2, 2011
The Importance of Covenants
In this sermon, Rev. Brock will explore the importance of principles in sustaining peace and harmony in any relationship system, whether that is a family, couple, congregation or group of any kind. His remarks come out of his decades of experience in working with congregations and families.
From your Interim Minister, Rev. Brock:
This Sunday there will be a few minor changes to the order of service. Among these will be that the joys and concerns will be handled in the first service as they have been in the second service; so if you have a joy or concern you wish to share with the congregation during the service, please contact our Worship Associate, Katherine Martin (kateloum
gmail
com) .
My sermon this week will be about the importance of covenants for church communities. Soon I will be sharing a draft of a “Covenant of Healthy Relationships” with the congregation that will be discussed by members and friends of the congregation and, hopefully at some point – perhaps the last Sunday of this month – be voted on and approved by the congregation. During the month of October, I will, in a variety of ways, be discussing the meaning, uses, and significance of congregations having common principles, widely and deeply affirmed by all, to guide our behavior, words, and deeds.
I look forward to walking with you on your journey of creating your future.
September 25, 2011
Letters Home From Camp
Join Jason Cook as he shares his thoughts on what it means for us as a congregation to practice our principles when it comes to our youth.
September 18, 2011
What Are Congregations For?
Rev. Ed Brock has developed the opinion that congregations serve certain fundamental human needs and that congregations are “healthy” and “thriving” when they are doing this well and “unhealthy” and remain in a “stuck” position when they get off track. In this sermon, he will explore this notion and how it guides his work as an interim minister.
September 11, 2011
What I Have Learned About Congregations
In this sermon, Rev. Ed Brock will talk about the evolution of his experience with, and understanding of, congregations, which has led him to how he understands and “works with” congregations today.
September 4, 2011
A Spiritual Journey
In this sermon, Rev. Ed Brock will give an overview of his background and history as a way of introducing himself as OCUUC’s new interim minister.
